The Blade-Wielding Legend-Chapter 1218 - 638: The Underground Palace Is Destroyed, Celestial Phenomena Change (Part 2)

However, the revolution of the Human Dao has arrived, yet the Emperor is already aging.

But those with ability fear nothing more than "dissatisfaction."

Unwilling to see a lifetime's effort destroyed,

Unwilling to leave in silence when the stage is at its most glorious.

This, is their opportunity.

Of course, the Daoist did not intend to refine those lead and mercury pills.

Just prolonging life, maintaining energy and vigor, is already enough for them.

This batch of elixir, collected much Heavenly Spirit Earth Treasure, and has been in alchemy for three months.

As long as a hundred days are reached, the "Earth Marrow Powder" can be refined.

This is the formula passed down by "Old Master He" back then.

They had a hard time gathering the spiritual materials.

At this moment, the Demon Suppression Copper Bell hanging on the eaves of the palace suddenly rang without wind.

The young Daoist inside the Three Pure Ones Hall widened his eyes in terror.

The "All Heaven Five Thunder Talisman" offered before the Divine Statue of Laojun suddenly cracked!

This talisman was passed down by Zhang Daoling and has always been the treasure of Shangqing Palace.

Meanwhile, outside, the alchemists were equally shocked as they spat blood from their mouths.

Another treasure of Shangqing Palace is this Pill Furnace.

Legend has it that it was also passed down by Laozi, though that's not entirely true; it is indeed a Treasure Furnace.

When refining elixirs, it not only yields a high success rate but also produces astonishing effects.

And at this moment, the Taoists were horrified to discover the Treasure Furnace vibrating.

Black water seeped from its walls, turning the batch of treasure pills into complete waste.

"Who is it?!"

The bearded old Daoist leader stood up abruptly, his face filled with rage.

Before he could determine the cause, he saw the distant sky filled with bloodlight.

The old Daoist froze, quickly performing calculations with his fingers, then murmured, "This is bad."

"Master, what is that?" the nearby Daoist asked hastily.

"That is 'Red Defect'!"

The old Daoist gritted his teeth and said, "The Han Shu·Five Elements Chronicles records: Red Defect belongs to fire, signifying war and blood plague."

"Something's happened over there, ring the bell, open the altar!"

...

In the City God Temple within Luoyang City.

Clang!

The mud sculpture of the Judge in the temple suddenly had its paint peel off, with blood stains seeping through the cracks.

Meanwhile, the plaque reading "Observing Good and Evil" in the main hall crashed down with a roar.

Whoosh~

An abrupt cold wind surged around, and the Paper Money hidden on the beams also fell like dense snowflakes.

As Luoyang City's Qi Fortune waned and the people's livelihood declined, even the incense at the City God Temple was not prosperous.

Even so, many citizens still came to offer incense in the temple.

They were all foreign merchants who couldn't go back to sweep tombs during Qingming, so they came to the City God Temple to offer incense, entrusting their sorrow for the festival, praying for the City God's protection.

Witnessing the strange phenomena, the citizens in the temple were instantly scared pale.

They couldn't understand why the Judge's statue would bleed.

Even more puzzling, who had spread Paper Money on the temple's beams?

"Everyone, the City God Temple is closed, please leave first!"

A monk with a somber face and a Daoist temple priest walked into the main hall together.

These foreign merchants traveled far and wide, each craftier than the last. Sensing something amiss, they quickly bowed their heads and left.

Some didn't want trouble and hurried back to the inn.

Others ran to the government office to report the situation.

Soon, the main hall became quiet.

The Daoist temple priest looked at the Paper Money scattered all over the ground, then suddenly turned around and said in a deep voice, "What's going on? Didn't you say that after Qingming, everything would be settled? Why this mess again?"

The monk with the gloomy face looked towards Mang Mountain, "Something might have happened there…"

The words were oddly stiff, coming from a monk from Japan.

"Hmph!"

The Daoist temple priest let out a cold snort, picked up the Paper Money from the ground, "This method can only be used once, tonight the City God will patrol as usual. In any case, I have fulfilled your requests, after today, we'll have no further dealings!"

"Hmm."

The monk nodded in agreement, but lowered his head, eyes filled with murderous intent.

Just then, the sound of commotion came from outside the door.

The Daoist temple priest quickly turned his head, instantly seeing the distant sky dyed with blood.

First, he was astonished, then a flicker of fear crossed his eyes, he also performed a mantra calculation, his voice trembling, "This year's Qingming, with the 'Ziwei shifted', blood rays from Mang Mountain pierced straight into the Ziwei Constellation, this is the ominous sign of 'Ghost Horn invading Ziwei', a portent of national downfall; just what are you doing?"

At that moment, a chill had already risen in his heart.

Luoyang City has a long history, and although the incense in the City God Temple has waned, the Community Order Soldiers it maintains are powerful, attracting both the Shangqing Palace and Baima Temple to vie for control.

Because of this, as a temple priest, he benefits from both sides, making a tidy profit.

The previous Luoyang paperman case occurred because he was threatened, preventing the Community Order Soldiers from operating normally, allowing the papermen to commit crimes at night.

Initially, it seemed like another power struggle between Buddhism and Taoism.

But now, it appears far more complex.

Poof!

Just as he was about to turn and ask, he suddenly felt a pain in his chest.

The Daoist spat blood from his mouth, lowered his head to look, and saw a Wodao piercing through his chest.

The monk behind him had a sinister look on his face...

...

Outside Luoyang City, at Baima Temple.

This famous Zen monastery was experiencing anomalies as well.

In the cellar of the temple's Scripture Pavilion, the sound of clay jars breaking echoed continuously.

Crash!

The "pagoda forest" where a Tang dynasty high monk was buried inexplicably tilted.

Monks swarmed out, looking at the scene in front of them, unsure of what to do.

...

Inside the Dragon Gate Inn, the Heluo Horse Gang was in discussion.

At the River God ceremony, the appearance of a coffin paperman was indeed ominous.

That's why they have been trying hard to suppress the matter, but the business of the Chamber of Commerce has been affected as a result.

"Shopkeeper, shopkeeper!"

Just as everyone was at their wits' end, a servant from the inn rushed in like a madman.

"Little Five, how could you be so unruly?"

Madam Pei immediately chided him sternly.

It seemed harsh but was actually protective.

After all, she was only the Squad Leader of the Heluo Chamber of Commerce, and there were indeed some tough ones among those present.

However, the servant ignored her, urgently pointing outside and said:

"There's trouble on the water again!"

Upon hearing this, everyone hurried out to see.

On the surface of the Yi River, bubbles were continuously surging.

A crowd had already gathered on the shore. Once they pushed through the crowd, they were instantly shocked.

They saw muddy water swirling in the river, slowly raising a sunken ship.

The ship was ancient, filled with silt in its crevices, and covered with dry bones, all bound by chains.

More eerily, the hull was pieced together with many wooden planks.

The river water washed away the silt, revealing that on those planks, each was inscribed with the words "Tomb of So-and-So."

The entire ship was actually constructed from grave markers.

"What...what is this?"

Madam Pei felt her hair stand on end and quickly asked.

However, everyone around shook their heads.

"This is a 'Soul Collecting Ship'!"

At that moment, an elderly voice rang out from the crowd.

An elderly blind man in a blue robe, carrying an erhu, stepped out from among the people.

Madam Pei's eyes lit up, and she quickly cupped her hands in respect, "Could you be senior 'Diting Xian'?"

The newcomer was indeed Yue San'er, one of the Bamboo Forest Six Leisurely.

After leaving Shu, he had returned to Yu State.

This elder was quite famous among the Mystical Sect along the Yellow River and was quickly recognized.

"May I ask, senior, what kind of evil creature is this 'Soul Collecting Ship'?"

Yue San'er solemnly said, "This thing, when I was younger, I saw while helping with a water burial. It was a senior who enlightened me to its origins."

"During the Northern Wei period, there was an unorthodox dark sect called the Yin Talisman Sect, skilled in summoning yin soldiers. They imitated Qin Chenbi's method of water suppression, sinking the ship into a river vortex, both to cultivate evil spirits with water veins and to collect the souls of the dead in battle, awakening them during battle to assault enemy formations."

"During the 'River Yin Incident,' Erzhu Rong slaughtered over two thousand Northern Wei court officials at Luoyang's River Yin, turning the river blood-red. The Yin Talisman Sect took the opportunity to forge 'Soul Collecting Ships,' inciting public outrage and were hunted down by the Northern Dynasty's Mystical Sect, eventually vanishing without a trace."

"On rainy nights, some people occasionally see them, known among the people as 'Ghost Ship Crossing.'"

"It must be a relic from that time; burn it with peach wood arrows, and by no means let it reach the shore."

Saying this, he turned and cupped his hands, "I came here at the invitation of young friend Li Yan, but was delayed by some matters on the road. I heard they appeared at Dragon Gate Inn, Squad Leader Pei, do you know their whereabouts..."

Before he could finish, the clamor around them rose again.

On the surface of the Yi River, bubbles were bubbling, and the mud-churning area was expanding.

One after another, those eerie 'Soul Collecting Ships' floated to the surface.

As everyone stood stunned, the sky in the direction of Mang Mountain also turned a shade of blood.

Madam Pei trembled as she spoke, "Li Yan and the others, they're at Mang Mountain..."